• Easy Pad Thai

• based on:
•  https://happyherbivore.com/recipe/cheater-pad-thai/
• 
  
• 1/2 pound brown rice noodles (can use udon noodles, whole wheat linguine, etc)
•          1/4 cup soy sauce (tamari, Braggs)
• 2 Tb peanut butter
• 2 Tb tbsp sweet red chili sauce
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp hot sauce
• 1/2 cup water
•            juice of 1/2 fresh lime
• at least 16 oz. frozen stir-fry veg of choice (or use fresh onion, bell peppers, broccoli, bean sprouts, etc. but of course that's less fast and easy)

Instructions

Prepare noodles according to package directions. meanwhile start veg cooking, frozen till heated through or fresh until al dente. While they cook, whisk water, soy sauce, peanut butter, chili sauce, garlic powder, ginger, and hot sauce together in a small bowl or 2-cup liquid measure until combined. It may appear too runny at first, but it's not. Drain and rinse noodles, pour on top of veg and pour sauce over oodles, stir together and make sure all is heated through.

Serve with peanuts or chopped cashews on top, optional green onions, traditional bean sprouts.....

 You can also add 1/2 to 2/3 cup marinated chickpeas to cooking veg (marinate overnight in tamari or teriyaki or other asian sauce)

Super simple rich and savory WFBPno chili from dry beans

I’ve had to copy and send this so many times I thought I would post it on the blog so I can just send a link. I will take a photo next time I make it and add it in as well as use copy not full of pepperplate complications.

Click to view the recipe on pepperplate or add the recipe to your pepperplate account. 3-Bean IP Chili Good chili from dried beans - toss it in and go! INGREDIENTS vegetables large onion, chopped optional 8 oz cremini mushrooms chopped 2 stalks celery chopped 2 lg carrots chopped cabbage chopped (about one cup) red pepper, green pepper chopped (one-half large or more) one cup frozen corn can petite diced tomatoes beans one cup dry white beans one cup dry black beans one cup dry small red beans 2/3 cup red lentils liquid 7 cups extra rich veggie broth large can crushed tomatoes seasonings 4 to 6 cloves garlic pressed or minced 1 Tb dried oregano 1 + Tb dried cilantro 1 skimpy tsp adobo seasoning 1/2 tsp ancho chili powder 1 1/2 tsp cumin 1 tsp smokey turmeric a few grinds fresh black pepper 1 Tb Braggs aminos or soy or Worcestershire optional toppings chopped avocado fresh cilantro chopped tomato tortilla strips green onion INSTRUCTIONS 1. sautee onion and mushrooms and garlic 2. rinse beans and pick over 3. add everything except crushed tomato, stir, pour crushed tomato on top 4. set to pressure for 28 minutes, NPR 5. go to the movies Your use of Pepperplate is subject to the Pepperplate Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Sent from my iPad

Meatless Balls

Meatless Balls (Or Cutlets)

good in spaghetti, BBQ meatballs, etc

---

Ingredients

• • one can chickpeas drained and rinsed (save 1/4 cup liquid) or 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas  (batch cook and freeze ahead) 
  • 3 Tb aquafaba (or more broth) 
  • 1/2 to 2/3 cup well-cooked red quinoa (overcooked is good)
  • 3/4 cup vital wheat gluten
  • 1 cup dry breadcrumbs (can use partly wheat germ)
  • 1/3 cup beefy broth
  • 3 Tb soy or braggs or tamari
  • tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • 4 cloves garlic (or garlic powder)
  • 1 tsp dried thyme (crush)
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp onion powder 
   
  • other optional seasonings or use favorites:                                                                    
  • Mural of Flavor
  • Krakow sausage seasoning
  • Italian herb mix
  • Garlic and Herb chicken seasoning 
  • add fennel if you want sausage balls                                                                    

---

Instructions

1. Mash chickpeas with aquafaba until no whole ones are left, or put in food processor with garlic and process until roughly chopped (not hummus!)
2. Add remaining ingredients and knead together for two or three minutes until strings of gluten have formed
3. Shape into small balls, this should make about 60-70, and place on silpat
4. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes

---

Notes

for cutlets, skip quinoa and use chicken-ish broth and seasonings - sage, poultry seasoning, garlic and herb, foxpoint. Crumbs can be partly oats, wheat germ, panko.
Form into cutlets and put seasoned crumbs under and over and press in, bake 20 minutes, flip and bake 10 more, serve with potatoes and gravy

You could also use some leftover brown rice in the meatless balls.

not-quite ratatouille

Wasn't sure what was for dinner, had some summer squash and thought of ratatouille so I looked online.
Most recipes are for a sort of stew, but I had in mind something like the movie version :) and I found one. But I hadn't realized it was supposed to be based largely on eggplant, which I didn't have. I considered heading out to buy it, but no, I really didn't want to have to buy anything. So I took what I had and made something just as pretty and it was really delicious. I used a sweet potato sliced very thinly, a large tomato, and onion, a yellow and a zucchini squash. You sprinkle it with your favorite seasonings and cover with parchment paper to bake.
Here's what I based it on: http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2007/07/rat-a-too-ee-for-you-ee/

You can serve it with crusty bread or over couscous or quinoa or whatever.


This post has been sitting in drafts for a while, about time to put it out there.....
Use What You Have!

Menu planning from an Aldi's ad

Having a good time with the ad and decided to record it.

Avocados 39 cents, Durk will get to have lots of bachidas (Brazilian avocado milkshake) but also we can have avocado-mango-tomato salsa on fish, simply chop all three and stir , together with a little olive oil and cilantro and Mexican seasonings. Put over baked fish. Serve with broccoli, baked sweet potato, whatever-
homemade guacamole on a fiesta dinner (oops, haven't ever finished that post, coming soon) basically it's onion, chicken, frozen corn, black beans, salsa, brown rice all cooked up together - or rice separate to put the chicken stuff on top of.

Multi-colored peppers 99 cents a package. Hmmm, good time for confetti spaghetti squash,
still have some sale asparagus from the other day and the canned black beans are only 59 cents, good week for black bean asparagus salad with red peppers and cilantro dressing.

Mexican style corn - good with cornbread mix and browned sausage from the freezer for a fast sausage-cornbread dinner, still have salad "kit" from big sale last week to go alongside.

That's four possible meals so far.

Cooked a ham today from last weeks amazing 59 cent a pound sale, so the rest of the week will be ham and angel hair pasta; ham-veggies-egg pie in potato crust ;  and split pea soup with ham. Seven days planned, hurray! Looks heavy on the Mexican so one day might turn into oriental veg and noodle stir fry with some ham (see yaki soba post).

Cheddar-Onion Bread

When you want something a little fancier and flavorful, here's an easy one to do when you are already making a batch of bread (and of course it will freeze for use on a busy day in the future).

Chop a large onion and cook it slowly in a little butter while making bread dough until golden and sweet.

Make your usual or favorite whole wheat bread dough (here's my recipe) and after the first rising, save out a portion - a large loaf's worth.After shaping any other loaves, take the reserved piece and knead in the onion and about 1 1/2 cups finely grated sharp or extra sharp cheddar (or other favoirte cheese). Let it rest 10-15 minutes.

Divide into three portions and roll each into a long snake, maybe about 14 inches. Braid them together and form into a circle in a greased 10" glass pie plate (or on a baking sheet). Let rise 30 minutes, put in cold oven on a slightly  lowered rack and bake at 325 for 30 minutes or until browned.
You can brush it with water before baking to help it get crusty.

This bread is great with broccoli soup, easy vegetable soup, etc.

Frugal blog

Save on food, household, etc, http://www.frugal-living-now.com/ 
What I've read of it was good advice and you can look up what you want help with by category.